True Love is Strength
by JMolover13
Summary: Pre-curse breaking, Emma finds Regina's diary from the other world.


**Rating: **

**Word Count: ~3200**

**Anonymous asked you: I love your fics SOOOOO much ! You're amazing ! My prompt: Swan Queen, Regina has a diary (as in FTL, but in storybrooke). Emma finds it. I'm french, so I'm sorry if I made mistakes. Love everything you write !**

**Oh my French Anon, no worries. I hope you enjoy! By the way this turned way cheesy way fast… I regret nothing.**

Emma was a very sneaky girl. She was too good for her own good actually. It was just too easy to break into the mansion and plant her bugs. As she was in the study though something caught her eye. It was on the highest shelf.

It was just a book.

She didn't know why she let it catch her attention. There wasn't anything special about it. It just looked like all the other old books on the shelf… It had to be the fact that it was alone. That's why it spoke to her. She bit her lip and looked around, "Screw it." She whispered as she scaled the shelving unit to reach it. She cleaned her boot marks and any scuffs she might have left before she ran out of the room and out of the house.

Stealing the book sent a bigger thrill through her than anything else she might have stolen. And that only irritated her as she came to that realization; that the biggest thrill was taking something from the woman she lo—hated.

She walked swiftly and with purpose as she exited the beetle to get inside her and Mary Margaret's apartment. She ran up the stairs and into her room, locking it before plopping on her bed. She ran her hands over the gold printed design on the leather bound book; the first thing that caught her attention was the button and string that kept it together. She ran her hand over the button staring at it.

It was a diary.

It was _her_ diary… It was what she assumed was going to be a very sad, handwritten book that she was going to have to lie about and say she didn't know it was a diary at first (thank you _Bridesmaids_).

She set the diary in front of her and scratched her forehead. She clapped her hands together and brought them to her mouth as if in prayer. Then she got up from the bed, and never taking her eyes off of the diary, she paced. If she opened it and read it, then she would have all the ammo she'd ever need to keep Regina in her place. If she didn't read it, but kept it, she could make Regina _think _that she knew everything. If she put it back she would always wonder what was in the inside.

She abruptly stopped and bit her lip, still staring. She was about to make a decision when a knock on her door stopped her, "Emma?"

"Yeah." She walked closer to the diary, but listened for a response.

"Are you feeling well?"

"Fine."

"Okay because you came home without even a 'hello'."

"Oh, sorry… I uh… I had to pee…" She knit her brows at herself.

"Right…" Mary Margaret sighed, "It's just… Usually you say something and there was a look on your face…"

"A look?"

"A look."

Emma walked to the door and opened just enough to stick her head through and look at the pixie cut woman. "I wasn't giving any look…"

"You had a crazy, 'I'm going to take my son and leave here' look… I wanted to make sure that everything is fine."

The blonde softened, "I'm not planning on leaving. I'm just…" She rolled her eyes, "I was taking care of something."

"What?"

Emma leaned in and whispered, "Regina's planted bugs in my office and I wouldn't be surprised if she planted anything in here, so I only retaliated in kind…"

"Oh Emma…" Mary Margaret's face was filled with concern. She barely let anything out so as not to be picked up if there were any mics lying around, "Are you going to look for them here?"

Emma nodded, "I told you there's no look, okay?"

"Alright." The raven-haired woman took a step back, "I'm going to take a walk…"

That was obviously Emma's cue to look around for any and all bugs planted in the apartment. After tearing the apartment apart, she found that it was clean. Then she resumed pacing this time in the kitchen. She now felt bad for planting bugs in Regina's home and taking the diary.

The diary…

She went back to her room and found it lying there in all its glory. She turned around, every intention of leaving it there and going to the diner, but to her surprise, her foot was kicking her door shut and her hands were locking it. And then she was jumping on her bed, grabbing the diary and opening it.

The first entry was the most interesting she ever thought she'd read.

_I've always been good. I've always tried to do right even though my mother is what she is. I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to fight it though. That woman, that heartless woman took him away, I know logically it was her. But, I cannot blame my mother. I can only blame the little girl that told her._

_I feel it bubbling inside of me like an erupting volcano. I don't want it, but I'm too broken and weak. I'm going to give in. Daniel's gone, my mother's in control, there's no point in fighting it. I realized that today as I was trying on my wedding dress with that little Snow White there._

_I'm no longer a good person. _

_Revenge is too sweet. _

_Revenge is everything._

_Revenge is me, Regina._

_I will be queen. No one will be able to stop me._

_No one._

Emma traced over the scrawl with her fingers, particularly the words, 'Snow White'. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "That sneaky bastard's been right all along…" She let the words fumble from her lips. Immediately after she thought maybe Regina was just fucking with her. But there was just something in her gut that told her that this was real. There was also something that told her to read the rest of the diary so that she would know exactly who she was dealing with.

~0~0~0~0~0~

She didn't sleep. Regina's life really was a sad, handwritten book. In a lot of the entries she wrote about life before she turned evil, but this diary was clearly the start of something bad. She'd learned everything there was to know about the mayor—the evil queen. But really… She wanted more. She just… didn't know how to get her to give it to her.

The next morning she put the diary in her inner jacket pocket and zipped it tight. She hid in the bushes, waiting for Regina to leave for work before she broke back into the house. She didn't remove her bugs, but she did put the book back where it belonged. It was almost too much power to the blonde.

She tried to go through her morning normally. She stopped at Granny's and got her breakfast to go then went to the station. She was zoned out on her hashbrowns, thinking about all the things Regina'd been through, and how her reaction to the stories were not, 'Good you bitch, you shouldn't have succeeded' but more, 'Just once, woman, you should win, you should be wanted, you should be loved'.

She thought about a certain phrase in Regina's diary that came up all too many times, 'Love is weakness' and then she thought about Henry's book and the phrase, 'True love's kiss is the most powerful of all magic'. And then she wondered which was right.

Sooner or later, she heard a clacking of heels and looked up, "Late start to the day, Sheriff?" The raised brow seemed slightly different to the blonde this morning. It was like a source of protection to the brunette, not annoyance.

And now Emma was reading way too much into the woman…

She shook her head, "No. Why?"

"It's one o-clock in the afternoon and you're eating hashbrowns and eggs."

"It's… really?" Emma looked to her clock. "I've been distracted this morning… that's all." She threw her breakfast away and looked up, "What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?"

"Someone stole something from me and I'd like you to find it and get it back."

Emma kept a straight face, "What?"

"A book. A very valuable book. I keep it in my study and it's not there."

"Are you sure? You didn't just, misplace it or something?" The blonde came around and crossed her arms.

"Yes, I'm sure!" She glared into the green eyes.

Emma raised her hands in surrender, "Alright." She gestured to the door, "Let's go to the mansion and check it out."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"It wasn't there this morning." Regina huffed.

"I'm sure."

"You think I'm lying, Sheriff?"

"No Madam Mayor. I don't think you're lying." Emma's tone was serious. "I do think you have a few enemies in town and I do think that some of them might have wanted to exact revenge. But maybe they changed their minds."

Regina knit her brows, "What are you saying?"

"I'm just saying that revenge is not everything; that it doesn't define who we are. I'm saying that maybe the person decided against hurting you because if the book is as valuable as you say, then they knew it and they still put it back…"

Regina's hard look turned curious, "Did you take my book Sheriff?"

"Well, that would just take away from the mystery if I did and I admitted it right here and now."

"So you believe that there is in fact a mystery here? Even though my book is where it's supposed to me?"

Emma looked around, "Look, if you want me to investigate further, I will gladly investigate further, but if you don't then I won't. It's simple."

"Why are you being nice?"

"I'm not being—"

"Yes. Any other day of the week, you would be on my ass for wasting your time and you would be cracking jokes about my paranoia."

"Are you paranoid?" Emma asked with a hint of a grin, "You seem paranoid."

Regina's nostrils flared, "I just want to know why you're being nice."

"Maybe I've turned over a new leaf. Maybe something big happened to me yesterday and I saw the light. Maybe I realized something about myself and your..self and maybe I just don't want to bicker with my son's mom anymore."

"What happened to you yesterday?"

Emma smiled, "If I told you that, it'd take away from the mystery." She sidestepped the mayor and made to exit the mansion.

Regina grabbed her arm, "What did you realize about me and you?"

Emma shrugged, "Pretend magic was real and Henry's fairytale thing was real." She put up her hand to stop the mayor from protesting, "Do you think that love is weakness or the most powerful?"

"I wouldn't know."

"So, you vote weakness." Emma gave a half grin, "I do too… Except I think we're both wrong."

"You.. I'm not sure I understand."

"Maybe in time you will."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma had been obscenely nice to the mayor. She would bring her coffee, lunch, flowers, anything and everything Emma could bring, she would bring to the mayor. The thing she realized after she read the diary and the book twice over, and after she saw the evil queen in the flesh the next day, she knew that love was strength. She finally admitted that her hatred had crossed that fine line. And she knew that her MmmmmMary Margaret Mom type person wouldn't necessarily approve of who she was falling for, but she decided to let it happen because she knew her; she knew the evil queen and it turned out she was just fucked up like everyone else.

Emma knocked before entering the mayor's office, "Madam Mayor." She walked over and gave the woman some coffee.

"Sheriff…"

"I have a lead. On who took your diary."

Regina looked wide-eyed at the blonde. It took her a moment to remove the cup from her lips, "I never said it was a diary…"

"Did I say 'diary'?"

"Yes, you said 'diary'."

"I don't think I said 'diary'."

"You said 'diary'."

"I don't recall saying 'diary'."

"Sheriff!" Regina had had enough banter. It was more than enough for the blonde to know that it was a diary.

"Madam Mayor!" Emma mimicked.

"I never told you it was a diary, how did you know it was a diary?"

Emma tilted her head and looked at the brunette, "You wanna go on a date with me?"

Regina's brows knit and she searched for a good response but all that came out was, "WHAT?"

"Do you, Regina Mills, wanna go out on a date with me?" Emma walked around the desk and knelt before her, "I know we haven't been good friends for that long, but I'd be lying if I said I had intentions of just being your friend and nothing else. So, date. You, me. Tonight? I'll pick you up at 8?"

Regina stared at the woman then changed the subject back, "How did you know it was a diary?"

"Why are you ignoring my question?"

"Why are you ignoring mine?"

"Because I have this pressing issue of wanting to take you out. That is way more important than your thing." Emma grinned.

Regina shook her head as a smile grew on her lips, "More important than how you knew it was a diary?"

"Yes."

"You answer me and I'll answer you."

"My source told me it was. You're turn."

"No."

"What?"

"I don't want to go out with a liar."

"I'm not lying. My source. My very, very reliable source told me it was a diary."

"Who's your source?" Regina asked with intrigue.

"Go out with me tonight and you might find out." The blonde countered.

"Why do you want to go out with me?"

"You really have to ask?" When Regina said nothing, Emma sighed, "I want to go out with you because you are everything I think I've ever wanted in a partner." The blonde saw the mayor's ears perk and she grinned, "You're all kinds of sexy. You're brilliant. Powerful. A domineering bitch—And I mean that in the best sense. You're inquisitive. And you keep everything at arms length, which is annoying when I try to ask you out, but I understand why you do it—"

"You couldn't possibly."

"Oh, I do. My source gave me some good reasons."

"You really did take it, didn't you?"

Emma ignored the woman, "You're everything I didn't know I wanted. And I want to take you out. So, go out with me tonight."

"If I go on a date with you tonight, then you will tell me everything I want to hear." Regina watched the blonde grin and open her mouth before she thought to add, "That was not a question or request, Sheriff. You do that and I'll go on one date with you."

Emma nodded, "I'll pick you up at 8. Dress warm. It's snowing and we're going to be outside for a bit." She stood and walked out of the office.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma had on two pairs of long johns under her jeans and the warmest shirts she could dig up. She also had on her secretly thick, flannel lined, gray coat that was all kinds of sexy as well as her hat with the tassels and the puffball on top. She stopped at Granny's and picked up dinner. She put it in her basket that she borrowed from Mary Margaret and then got to the mansion.

She was about to ring the doorbell, but stopped when it opened, "Hold on." Regina said before she shut the door and retreated.

Emma heard mumbling from the kid and Regina then the door opening and Regina walking out in a thick black pea coat, a scarf and putting on her gloves.

"Ready?"

Regina gave her a look, "Are you going to let me know the answers to my questions in any other way?" Emma grinned and shook her head, "Then I'm ready."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Where are we going?" Regina asked as they started on the dirt road that led to nothing.

"You'll see." Was all Emma provided.

It was about fifteen more minutes before they got to the field. There was nothing in it but a single apple tree. Everything was covered in a white blanket, but the fruit was still visible.

"I found this place a while ago. I didn't know if you knew about it, but I knew I wanted to bring you here."

Regina smiled as she looked up at the huge tree, "It's lovely."

"Is it that hardy, vigorous kind of apple tree? I mean, it looks like it 'cause it has apples on it…"

"Yes, it is a honey-crisp tree." Regina leaned against the tree trunk and looked to Emma, "You stole my diary didn't you?" Her words were soft.

"Yeah." Emma whispered.

"Are you going to kill me? Is that why you brought me out here?"

"What? Regina…"

"It's a logical assumption. Especially for one that does not know magic." She took a step forward, "If you kill me, it won't undo the curse. It will just make it last forever—"

"No it won't. If I kill you then the curse is half broken. Like they all get their memories back but there's no magic and they're stuck here."

Regina only knit her brows, "How did you know that?"

"I've done my research…" She pushed the mayor into the tree, "I don't want to kill you."

"Why?" The word was a choked sob.

"Regina." Emma whispered sadly, desperately, "I love you too much to want to kill you."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Emma said seriously, "But I know that I do love you and that I really, really, really wanna kiss you."

"If you do that then the curse will break."

Emma knit her brows in confusion, "I thought that they had to love each other… Oh!" She grinned wide at knowing that Regina just admitted her love for her and leaned into the woman and pressed her forehead against hers, "We don't have to kiss. But I want to."

"I do too."

"But we don't have to."

"I want to." Regina leaned in, "You love me after everything you know about me?"

"I love you because of everything I know about you. I don't know why you love me. I mean, I'm the bitch that came into town and stuck around mainly because you didn't want me here and then picked fights with you and stole your diary whilst planting bugs that I never actually used in your mansion—"

"You planted bugs in my mansion?" Regina pushed the blonde away from her, but made sure that they still held onto each other.

"You planted bugs in my office…"

"My mansion is my home."

Emma didn't know what to say, "You're pretty." She grinned.

"Mhmm." Regina gave the blonde a pointed look.

"I still don't… get it. I haven't done anything deserving of love—"

"Yes you have. You've saved me. You've been a friend, my only friend. And then with the flirting and the staring and the everything else… I fall fast, Sheriff Swan. Always have."

"I love you too." She smiled, "But we don't have to kiss."

"Oh we do… Because true love is strength, right? No matter what happens, we're strong…" She leaned into the blonde and kissed her.


End file.
